Strange New World
by LGravin4
Summary: Harry finds himself in a different universe. One where Tom Riddle became the Headmaster, Dumbledore and Grindelwald are at large and working together, and his parents are still alive. Extremely AU.
1. Dimension Traveler

This is AU. Set right after Sirius died in book 5.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

* * *

Chapter One: Dimension Traveler

Hogwarts, Harry decided, would probably hold the same beauty in every dimension, provided that he was in fact, in a different dimension. Harry was only ninety percent sure, and the missing ten percent only came from the strangeness and unlikely hood that one could really travel to alternate universe.

Though if it could be done, Harry figured it was only fitting that it should happen to him. He was, after all, Harry Potter, and now he could add dimension traveler to the list next to survivor of the killing curse.

Staring up at his school from across the lake, Harry realized just how much of a welcome surprise it was. He much preferred this view of Hogwarts than the frantic views of running through the Hall of Dimensions. Of course, the lack of Death Eaters and Voldemort didn't hurt.

It was then when Harry wondered how long it would take the Order, his friends, and Voldemort to realize he was gone? Would Dumbledore piece together what had happened, and try to find him? Would Voldemort be angry that Harry escaped, or happy that he was gone for an indefinite amount of time? Harry couldn't let his mind think about what Hermione and Ron would go through, but he could bet that they wouldn't rest until they thought up some plan of rescue.

But all hope of ever returning to his original world was fading fast in Harry. He knew how many doors were in the Hall of Dimensions. Coming across the same one again would be next to impossible, and there was only one person Harry knew that could achieve such a task, if it could be achieved at all – Dumbledore. He needed to find Dumbledore.

It shouldn't be too tough, he decided. Hogwarts was only a short walk away now. Harry only hoped that whichever universe he had landed in Dumbledore was still headmaster of Hogwarts. Maybe it was one of those unchangeable variables. He really couldn't imagine a Hogwarts without Dumbledore at its lead.

Despite his hurt leg and the several hundred scraps, he managed to make it into the castle in a short time. It was dark, but it wasn't quiet. He heard voices in the distance, hushed voices, it reminded Harry of being back at Grimmauld Place, the way the Order members talked when they didn't want him to hear…

And he thought they sounded familiar, too. Not particularly familiar, but hazy familiar. He knew these people, but he couldn't place how he knew them. He felt intensely interested. His heart began beating so fast it was becoming even more difficult to hear what they were talking about. Though he knew it was dangerous, he had to get closer. But before he even took a step towards the memorizing voices, an icily scary one caught him from behind.

"And _what _do you think you're doing wondering around the castle at _night_?" It was Snape. The Potions Master was standing behind him, a lit-up wand casting glow light. He must've thought Harry was a random student up past curfew, and Harry's mind began to race with all the bad things that could happen once he turned around and Snape saw his face.

Did he even exist in this world? And if he did how would he explain his self to his other self? And how did his other self behave? He would have to know if he was going to fake being his other self in front of Snape. Of course, he figured he couldn't fake much in front of Snape – not with the whole being able to read minds bit. He was trapped. He needed Dumbledore.

Thinking like the rash Gryffindor he was, he turned around in one, quick fluid movement, and gave Snape a shove. The dim light from his Professor's light went dark after it hit the floor, and Harry darted across the Entrance Hall. He regretted this decision almost immediately, realizing once Snape got his wand back, he wouldn't get far.

However, he didn't even get that far. Harry wasn't knocked to the ground by something sent from Snape's wand, but rather he was stopped in his tracks by someone who quickly had both his arms behind his back in a firm grip. Even if Harry had the will-power to fight back and escape, he suspected it would all be in vain.

"Watch it there, pal," said one of the familiar voices from earlier.

"Yeah, we know Professor Snape's a right git, but you can't go around shoving teachers," said another.

"Right, Padfoot," said the first, the one who had Harry in a death grip. "Like we've all forgotten the time…"

"_Lumos!_"

Snape's voice boomed through the Entrance Hall. The light that erupted from the tip of his wand was brighter this time. He approached much to Harry's disappointment. This whole situation was getting to be a little bit too much for him. He was standing here with Snape, his godfather who he had just seen get killed only hours earlier, and the man who he could only assume was his father. He couldn't see his face, but who else called Sirius Padfoot?

"You dare to assault a teacher?" Snape hissed, but once he set his eyes on Harry, they went blank. He didn't recognize him. For once in Harry's life he wasn't known.

"Can't even keep you're students in line, Severus?" James mocked. If he had matured at all from the last time Harry saw him in the Pensieve, it wasn't apparent with this comment.

Snape, however, didn't seem to hear him. He kept trying to make eye contact, but Harry wasn't having any of that. He put his shields up, and as weak as they were, it was enough to keep Snape out of his memories.

"Who are you?" Snape asked. "Why are you here?"

"Dumbledore," said Harry. It was the first thing that come to his mind, but it seemed to have quite an affected on his three captors. Snape's eyes grew more questioning, Sirius looked impressed, and James gasped, almost being caught off guard enough for Harry to wriggle free.

"Don't say that name…" Snape drawled, dangerously. "Do you think you're funny coming in here to Hogwarts saying that name?"

"No…" said Harry. "I need to speak to Dumbledore right now!"

"Look, Snape," said Sirius, "He's obviously confused. Maybe we should take him to the hospital wing…"

"Confused, and yet able to break through Hogwarts defensives? This is no student of mine…"

Harry began to breathe heavily. Now it was really too much. His head spun. What kind of world did he end up where Dumbledore was a bad word? Where in the universe was he? The last bit of his strength left him, and he went lifeless in James's arms.


	2. Wound That Doesn't Heal

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_.

Chapter Two: The Wound That Doesn't Heal

James, Sirius, and Professor Snape headed to the Hospital Wing in silence, the latter levitating the strange young boy alongside. Snape had pointed out that this wasn't really a three person job, but Sirius insisted, in a mocking sort of way, that their visitor might be too dangerous for just one person. After all, if had managed to escape the great and powerful Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, he _must_ be insidious.

It made James laugh lightly, but Sirius stopped with his digs when Snape caught him with an unusually cruel glare. Sometimes, Sirius knew when to stop, and James was glad he chose that moment because his thoughts were too much to keep up with the conversation.

Unlike Sirius, it troubled James that this boy, who couldn't be more than eighteen, had been able to get past the tightened security around the castle. With Dumbledore and Grindelwald causing mass chaos elsewhere, Hogwarts had become a refuge. Classes were still in session, but now Hogwarts played home to many displaced families, particularly mixed families.

James and Sirius were placed there for extra security with a few other Aurors, and neither of them minded the job much. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, had thought their return to be something of catastrophe. Snape ignored them religiously whenever possible, and Headmaster Riddle tolerated their existence because he knew, at the end of the day, their presence at Hogwarts was needed at a time like this.

Not that their security charms were doing a good job. Not if a young boy could break them down, and if he had gotten through, anyone could. James hated to think what would happen if any of Dumbledore and Grindelwald's followers managed to get into Hogwarts where his family now lived. He couldn't imagine losing another child…

When they arrived at the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey was waiting and ready. She levitated the boy out from Snape's control, and straight onto a bed that had already been prepared. She took a long look at the boy, and whirled around at Snape, pointing her wand the way most people would point their fingers.

"Dear heavens, Severus," she started, "I know he's an intruder, but he's just a boy! Did you have to rough him up this much?"

"Why are you pointing your wand at me," Snape lowered his voice. He had little patience for hysterics. "When it could have just as easily been those two?"

Poppy looked at James and Sirius, remembered what they were like as teenagers, and considered Snape's point.

"He was like that when we found him," said James, before Poppy could scold anyone else.

"If you remember correctly, Potter," Snape sneered, "_I _found him while you and Black were wondering around aimlessly."

"When you busying being bested by a teenager, you mean?" Sirius challenged back. He didn't have any patience, either, especially for Snape.

"It matters not," came a voice from the entrance of the room. It was the Headmaster, dressed in his best robes, despite it being the middle of the night. "Who found him, only that he was found before any damage was done. I might suggest to you three to put away childhood rivalries as we've got more relevant matter to attend to."

Headmaster Riddle swept over to where Poppy was hard at work, casting various healing spells on their mysterious stranger. Under the lights of the Hospital Wing, James was able to get a better look at the boy who had managed to break through Riddle approved security measures, and after getting a proper look at him, he was able to draw the same conclusion as Sirius.

"Prongs," he said. "He looks like you!"

He _did _look like James. Frighteningly so. Right down to every last jet black hair out of place.

"A relative, perhaps?" Snape suggested, looking over the James-look-alike with a new form of disgust in his eyes.

"Maybe…" said James, but he couldn't think of anyone. He was an only child. His parents were only children. He was the last Potter, besides his children.

But the Headmaster wasn't preoccupied with any of that. He pulled out his wand, and motioned for Poppy to step away. She did so, but not without apprehension. Riddle placed his wand on the boy's forehead, lifting up some of his hair to reveal a thin, lightning bolt shaped scar. That was enough for the Headmaster. He pocketed his wand, and left the room without another word.

Poppy went back to healing as if nothing strange had happened. James, Sirius and Snape looked at each before bolting from the Hospital Wing after Riddle, who had waited for them in the corridor. They looked at him for answers.

"…That's not an ordinary scar," said the Headmaster, "Something like that is caused by being touched by a powerfully dark curse… and surviving."

James frowned. That wasn't exactly news. He'd seen Aurors come back from missions with all kinds of weird scars.

"As much as I'm sure Poppy will try," he continued. "It won't be healed."

"But that doesn't tell us anything," said Sirius, "we still don't know how he's here, or who he is."

"I think, James," said Riddle, carefully. "It might be time to reconsider what happened to your son Harry."

"No," James said, immediately. "Harry died. He was killed by Grindelwald, we already know that, made peace with that…"

"James," said Sirius, "they never found a body. He looks just like you did when you were that age…"

"The timing is right," Headmaster Riddle said, "It's been about fourteen years. Harry would be fifteen, and that boy in there…"

"Isn't my son," James dismissed.

"He looks just like you," Sirius again.

James shook his head. It was absolutely ridiculous to believe the intruder was his long lost son just because they looked alike, and it made James angrier than ever to have this conversation with Snape within earshot. He needed to think this through before he did something rash…

He turned to storm off, but not before titling his head at the other three men. "Don't bother Lily with this… until… unless we know for sure."

Headmaster Riddle nodded in agreement, and James disappeared down the corridor, ready to slip into bed with Lily, who was probably already asleep.

* * *

Next chapter has more Harry!


	3. Calm Before the Storm

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

Chapter Three: Calm Before The Storm

Harry sat up in his bed and observed his surroundings. He had almost tricked himself into thinking his run in with Snape, Sirius and James had been a twisted nightmare. The Hospital Wing looked the same in this world, and he had woken up thinking, or maybe wishing, his injuries had been caused by a particularly rough Quidditch match. It hadn't been hard to return to his current reality. Harry never really was one for delusions.

People who believed in delusions were panicky in nature, and panic was the opposite of how Harry felt. It was a strange sort of calm pulsing through him. Calm, until he decided on a plan to get back home. Perhaps it was his Slytherin qualities, or perhaps it was his Gryffindor bravery, but whatever it was, for once, Harry had a clear mind.

His first course of action was simple. He needed to learn this world. He needed to understand what was happening here, so he could create a believable cover story. Telling people he was from an alternate reality wasn't an option. Not without Dumbledore around, and from the way Snape had reacted, Harry knew he had to deal with the fact that the Dumbledore of this world might be dramatically different than the one of his own, maybe even Voldemort-like.

He wondered who the Headmaster of Hogwarts was now, and if they were as wise as Dumbledore. Who was the minister of magic in this world? What was Voldemort up to here? He needed to find a newspaper, something that could tell him his basics. He had to get out of the Hospital Wing before he was confronted by another person he knew to be dead.

Looking around, Harry didn't spot anyone on guard duty. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and carefully put let his feet hit the floor. He sighed in relief when an alarm didn't sound. Harry had thought for sure they'd have some sort of wards keeping him there, but it didn't appear like there were any so far.

He ransacked the nearby drawers and cabinets, searching for his wand, but came up empty. What kind of cruelty was this that they leave him unguarded but wandless? He gave a breathy, annoyed sigh, but realized there was no one around to appreciate just how irritated he really was. He couldn't get far without his wand. At the very least he hoped to find some useful information, and then maybe he could talk whoever was holding his wand captive to give it back.

Harry grinned as he stepped outside of the Hospital Wing. He looked into an empty corridor. With no one around to stop him, he drifted off into the shadowy places of the school where he'd remain unseen and hopefully overhear informative conversations.

* * *

In his office, Tom Marvolo Riddle sat in deep thought. He gave another look to the wands lying on his desk, side by side. The first was his own. He still remembered the day he got it. Both he and his father were amazed by such a simple stick that could produce wonderful things in the right hands. Magic was a mystery to him then, and he couldn't say it had become any less of one now.

Their new visitor, while Tom didn't consider him to be dangerous, was certainly a mystery. How he came to be on Hogwarts grounds was at the top of that list, but then there was his decidedly James Potter features. The teenager looked so much like James it was as if he had gone back in time to when Potter was in teens. That couldn't be ignored, and Tom solemnly believed the strange intruder was the same boy who went missing at age one.

The door to his office flew open without the courtesy of a knock. Remus Lupin stood on the other side, looking like a fine mix of frustrated and confused. Tom sighed. Dealing with angry teachers was a regular part of his job, but it was nothing like dealing with an angry ex-marauder turned teacher.

"With the way information travels at this school," Tom said, "I assume you've heard security has been breached…"

"I'm more concerned about the identity of the intruder," said Lupin. "Sirius is saying –"

"I'm not sure," said Tom. "I can only guess. He does appear to be Harry, what he'd look like now, but I can't say until I have proof. Last night I was simply preparing James for the possibility and as of right now, it looks rather likely."

Lupin nodded. "When his body wasn't found, I suspected that theymight have taken him instead of killed him."

"My thoughts exactly," said Tom. He had always found Lupin to be more foresighted than his friends. "And if it's Harry, and they've decided to set him loose at Hogwarts, it can't be for a good reason."

"You think he's dangerous?"

"I think it's dangerous to let our guards down because its Potter's long lost son," said Tom. "Who knows what they've told him to do, or what kind of magic he learned at their hands. He's only dangerous if we've taken off guard, but I don't believe him to be particularly powerful."

Tom gave a look to the other wand on his desk. His wand's brother. That was the most troubling thing about this situation, but he didn't mention it to Lupin. He preferred to tell people only what they needed to know. Before Lupin could ask him any more questions, an out of breath Gryffindor fifth year burst into his office.

"Mr. Weasley, correct?" he asked, knowing his name only because his popularity among the other students. A Prefect and a star Quidditch player was apparently enough to be well-known even among the staff.

"Er, yeah," Ron Weasley still struggled to catch his breath. "Professor Snape wanted me to tell you that your 'special guest' has disappeared, and Black is lousy at his job."

Tom Riddle gave an inward groan.

The last thing he needed was a mostly unidentified, possibly dark, young wizard running around the school. He had a nagging feeling his day was about to became intensely difficult, and it was all thanks to Sirius Black, the grown man who couldn't sit still for a few hours.

* * *

Harry kept to the secret passage ways when possible, but was able to blend in with other students easily when he had to make an appearance. He was pleasantly surprised about how easy it was to sneak around. Granted, most people hadn't been informed they should be watching out for him. From his observations, Hogwarts wasn't much different than from his world. He did notice a fair amount of younger children. Did Hogwarts in this world admit kids younger than eleven? If they did, Harry felt cheated. Anything to have been saved from the Dursley's a bit sooner.

A bell had rung, and the corridors had emptied. Harry capitalized on this to make a dash to the staircase descending into the school's entry way only to be stopped in this tracks by a short, younger kid. One who looked alarmingly like him. A little brother, maybe. Harry had never thought about the possibility of having siblings if his parents had survived the first war.

"What are you doing?" asked the boy. "You're too tall to be out past the bell."

"Well, you're too short to be at Hogwarts, aren't you?" Harry retorted back. He subtly glanced around; making sure it was just him and the boy in the corridor.

He puffed up his chest. "I live here."

"Of course you do," said Harry, sarcastically.

The boy smiled, completely and blissfully unaware of Harry's restlessness. "I'm Charlie. What's your name?"

"Dudley," he lied causually.

Charlie made a face. "I've got a cousin named Dudley. He isn't very nice…"

Harry chuckled. He felt comfort in the fact that some things, even in an alternate reality, always stayed the same. His comfort, however, was short lived, because several things happened at once. A late Hufflepuff student came tearing down the corridor the same time James Potter revealed himself by throwing off his Invisibility Cloak. James drew his wand, the student tripped over his own shoelaces and his wand fell from his robes.

He didn't think for a moment he couldn't do it. Harry knew wandless magic was possible, and so he called the Hufflepuff's wand to him. It zipped across the room obediently; flying straight into Harry's outstretched hand. He grinned proudly, not believing what he had just done, but he fell into a more serious attitude when he refocused on James.

"Charlie," said James, in a serious tone. "Go find your mother."

He was gone in an instant, and it left James staring directly into Harry's emerald green eyes. He didn't know exactly what he was thinking when he had silently called the wand. Was he really about to have a duel with his father? And did he really expect to come out of the winning side? Harry couldn't be sure, but he was feeling rather resentful and foolishly brave. He cast the first spell, the same one he had seen James use on Snape weeks back in the Pensive…


	4. Marauding

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

Chapter Four: Marauding

As it turned out, Harry wasn't much of a match for James. He didn't land a single hex before he had been disarmed. The stolen wand was then returned to its owner, who scurried away to class but not without giving Harry a hesitant, scared look. It made him grin, despite his situation, that someone should be afraid of him. Was he really that much of a threat to the people of this world?

James Potter apparently thought so. His wand was still raised, and his expression firm. He either thought Harry to be something of a danger, or was trying to remain professional, keeping his guard up on the unlikely chance of a surprise attack. Harry locked eyes back, somewhere between amused and frustrated. It was strange to have just had a duel with his father, but it was almost infuriating that he had lost so quickly.

"You tricked me," said Harry. He blinked, and wondered if he had been following him from under the Invisibility Cloak the entire time.

James grinned back at him, arrogant and yet somewhat charming. "And you left your bed at the Hospital Wing."

"Was that so wrong?" asked Harry, as James marched forward, no doubt coming in to take him back to Madam Pomfrey and her nonstop fussing. "I was just taking a stroll… I didn't know I was a prisoner."

"I think," he said, grabbing Harry by the arm and directing him down the corridor, "that breaking onto secured grounds in the dead of night, asking to see an extremely dangerous and powerful Dark Wizard, warrants a little suspicion."

"Well, where I'm from Dumbledore isn't dark," he said simply.

James snorted at this. "You seem to know your way around the castle pretty well for someone who isn't around here."

Because his original plan had been ruined, Harry had to think fast to flesh out something new. He didn't have any information about his new world, besides the fact that Dumbledore was a bad guy, and he needed to have a reason to being clueless. He couldn't think of anything better than the truth. From here on out he was winging it. He was better at that, anyway.

"I _am _from around here," Harry said. "It's just my here is different than yours."

"Wonderful," said James, "All we need is someone else speaking in riddles…"

"It's not a riddle. It's really quite simple. You see, I was in the Department of Mysteries, running from some Death Eaters, and…"

"I'm sure it's all quite fascinating," James cut him off, "but save it for the Headmaster."

Harry frowned. He had the feeling James would have been more interested in his story if he had believed he was going to tell him the truth, but then, maybe not. James was pulling him along at a fast pace, eager to arrive at their destination. He wasn't exactly encouraging conversation. He wasn't asking him questions, wasn't grilling him about who he was or how he got into Hogwarts. Maybe Harry could get away with asking him some of his own. He stopped moving, causing James to stand still and look at him as if to ask what his deal was.

"Are you a teacher here?"

"No," said James, coldly. The very thought must have offended him. "I'm an Auror, assigned to guard this school."

"Guard against who? Dumbledore? Is he trying to break in?"

"Stop playing dumb, and hurry up. Headmaster Riddle is in his office. He doesn't like to be kept waiting."

But Harry didn't hurry up. He couldn't have heard him correctly.

"I'm sorry, did you just say Headmaster Riddle?"

"That's right," said James.

"No."

Harry wouldn't be moved now. He was about to go have a chat with the alternate version of Lord Voldemort. It didn't matter to him if he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts or the Minister of Magic himself, it wasn't going to happen. He wasn't prepared. Going into that office with the little information he had now wasn't an option. He didn't need to escape; he needed to stall.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I need to go back to the Hospital Wing," he said. He put his hand on his forehead and cringed. "I'm not feeling so well."

James rolled his eyes. "Okay, we'll go back to the Hospital Wing just right we visit the Headmaster."

"No." He repeated.

"You don't really have a choice."

Harry looked around, but the corridor was still empty. There wasn't anything around to help him now, and James was losing his patience. He saw his father's hand move towards his wand. Any attempt to run would only result in being hexed. But that didn't matter to him. The only thing that mattered was avoiding a confrontation with Riddle, at any cost. Running wasn't an option, and so Harry sat down cross-legged on the floor. He challenged James with a stare, and the older Potter gave a sigh.

"I can force you up," said James, "You haven't got a wand, and even if you did, well you didn't exactly impress me the first time…"

Harry ignored the last jab about his dueling skills. "I'm not speaking to the Headmaster at the moment. If you want any answers, you'll keep him away from me."

"Is that so?"

Harry nodded. His stunt did make him feel rather childish, but it couldn't be helped. He was determined, and it was working. Harry could tell. James had paused, confused and unsure of what he should do. If nothing else, he had managed to delay his meeting with Lord Voldemort just a little bit longer.

* * *

James' hand hovered above the pocket which held his wand. He didn't really want to use magic on the boy again – it seemed cruel to use force on a child, especially one James was ninety percent sure was his. It was hard to deny from the very moment he had looked up at him with Lily's eyes.

But he couldn't exactly let himself be happy about it just yet. If this strange boy was Harry, then there were a lot of things to sort out before any celebration happened. There were so many questions that needed to be answered, so many issues James would have to work out… who knows how his child had been raised? What Dumbledore and Grindelwald had done to him? Did Harry even have any idea who he was?

"Prongs!"

James turned around and saw Sirius sprinting down the corridor with an old piece of parchment in his hands. Giving Harry a look warning him not to move, James stepped to the side to meet Sirius.

"Guess what I did?" asked Sirius, grinning madly. He thrust the piece of parchment at James until he finally gave in and took it.

"What's this rubbish?" The words left James' mouth before he could look at it properly. Once he saw just what it was that Sirius had handed him, his eyes went wide with shock. "How did you – When did you..?"

"I was trying to think of ways to prove to you our boy over there is Harry," he said. "And then I saw Filch fussing about cleaning up mud, and it came to me. The map –"

"Never lies," James finished for him. They had adopted that slogan shortly after they had created the Marauder's Map. The four of them had been both amazed at their own abilities and proud to be the owner of such a useful object.

He scanned the map until he found his own location, and then let his eyes carefully fall a little bit to the right. His heart jumped when his suspicion became fact. Harry James Potter was right next to him, and though he had suspected it had been him before, now it was true. James let himself look over at Harry again; he was now lying on the floor, staring straight up at the ceiling.

"That's my son," said James.

"Yeah…" Sirius said. "He's a little strange, though. What's he doing?"

"Refusing to go to the Headmaster's office. He says he won't answer any questions unless Riddle is kept away from him."

"Oh," he said. "That makes sense."

"How do I get him to go?" James knew it he was in bad shape when he was asking parenting advice from Sirius, who was perhaps the most irresponsible adult he knew.

"Don't."

"Sirius," James said, annoyed. "He gave strict orders that he should be brought up to the office…"

"It's a good thing you were never one for following rules," said Sirius. "Listen, James. He's your kid, and you've got the right to know what the hell happened to him before anyone else does. If he's not going to talk to Riddle, maybe he'll talk to us."

James thought it over, but it didn't take him long to realize Sirius was right. As much as he respected his former Headmaster, Harry had been away for fourteen years. He wasn't about to subject his son to a room full of people asking him personal questions, especially since James assumed Snape would be included in the mix.

"We can smuggle him out under the Invisibility Cloak."

Sirius beamed. "Look at us. With our map, marauding around Hogwarts again… it's like old times."

James smiled faintly. He couldn't pick out any situations from their past that was remotely like this one, but he had decided to stop trying to channel in to Sirius' thought process a long time ago. He supposed, if he stretched things a bit breaking Riddle's orders was a little like it back in their school days. There was one distinct difference: there was more on the line than a night in detention.


	5. Harry at Hogwarts

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

Chapter Five: Harry at Hogwarts

Headmaster Riddle hadn't been waiting long before he came to the conclusion that James wasn't coming. He had worried Potter would let his emotions get the better of him, a common problem with most Gryffindors, and yet he couldn't blame the man. He hadn't seen his son in fourteen years. Riddle imagined if he had been lucky enough to have children he would feel the same way if his missing firstborn turned up suddenly and mysteriously.

Severus Snape was less understanding. He paced up and down, muttering under his breath about how incompetent Potter and Black were. "Kidnapping a dangerous intruder… leave it to those two to completely under mind school security they set up…"

Before Riddle could redirect Snape's venting, Minerva McGonagall strode into the office wearing a particularly stern expression. The Headmaster had assumed this would happen. By now the entire staff had probably heard wild rumors about their mysterious new guest, and was itching to come and see what was happening. McGonagall was the first, but Riddle was sure she wouldn't be the last.

"Is it true?" She asked.

"It is," answered Riddle, "though I expect there are a hundred different versions floating around by now. Which one have you heard?"

"Just that a young boy broke through Hogwarts defenses," she said, astonished. Both men waited to hear if she had heard about his resemblance to James, but she seemed to be clueless. For that, Riddle was thankful. He didn't know what he'd do if that type of information got into the wrong hands.

Feeling as though McGonagall was trustworthy, and that she should know, Riddle elaborated for her. "It seems as though we've finally found Harry Potter, or rather, he found us."

"Headmaster, you can't be serious?" McGonagall was shocked and in disbelief all at the same time. "The house was completely destroyed… he was a year old, there's no way he could have possibly survived…"

"I'm quite serious," Riddle told her. "It seems as though Harry Potter has finally come to Hogwarts."

* * *

Harry had always imagined what it would be like to hang out with his dad, but he never thought it'd be like this. James and Sirius had taken him to a small, dingy pub in the middle of nowhere. They got a booth in the back and draped Sirius' large black cloak over him as a disguise. Harry couldn't say he liked this much. It was way too big, and smelled slightly like a dog.

Worse of all was the way James was staring at him, like he was a ghost or someone who had returned after a long vacation. It brought Harry to the unpleasant conclusion that both Sirius and James had figured out his name. He also wasn't instantly recognized in this world, and it made him wonder what happened to this world's Harry. He wondered if James and Sirius were thinking he had somehow risen from the dead. He wasn't looking forward to telling them both he wasn't really who they thought he was…

After the server brought them their drinks, James was the first to break the silence. "Why don't you start by telling us your name? And I know it isn't Dudley…"

"Harry James Potter," he said. He had thought about lying, but he didn't see the point. Both his father and Sirius knew who he was. Lying might make things worse. "But I'm not _your _Harry."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Then which Harry are you?"

"I'm from an alternate reality," he explained. Even with the dim lighting Harry could see the skeptical expressions. When he had resolved to be plainly honest, the scenario of not being believed hadn't crossed his mind. It really should have. Put in the opposite position, Harry wasn't sure he'd believe himself. "I tried to tell you back there, but you wouldn't listen. I was running through the Department of Mysteries –"

"Running from whom?" James asked.

"Death Eaters," said Harry. They both looked at him blankly. "Voldemort's supporters."

"And who's Voldemort?"

Harry looked down at his Butterbeer. He didn't know if he should tell them that their beloved Headmaster was a raging, murdering psychopath in his world. "Someone from my world."

James and Sirius exchanged worried glances. They seemed to be able to communicate without using words, and when they turned back to Harry, they were both wearing the same, slightly condescending, but mostly patronizing expressions. But they were silent again, and Harry at least felt proud he was able to make the once great pranksters of Hogwarts lose their words.

"What happened to the Harry in this world?" he asked, while he still had them off guard.

"Grindelwald destroyed our house," said James sadly. "Our friend Peter was watching him, and neither was found in the wreckage."

"Died then," said Harry. "That's you as well. In my world, I never knew you."

* * *

James was sure he had made a terrible mistake. Sitting across from Harry, who was the spitting image of him, and claiming to be from a different world, was quite disturbing. He didn't know if it were more disturbing that Harry thought he was from an alternate reality, or the emotionless way he had talked about death.

He was beginning to wish he had bypassed Sirius and had taken Harry to the Headmaster kicking and screaming. This sort of mental derangement was something James couldn't handle by himself. Riddle was sure to know what kind of curse had caused his son to completely lose touch with reality. Maybe he could even reserve it. Maybe it was so simple James wouldn't have to tell Lily about the delusions, only the good news about Harry being alive…

"I think it's about time we return to Hogwarts," said James.

"You don't believe me," Harry said, "but it's the truth."

"Regardless," said James, rising from the table. Sirius followed suit silently. "Our detour has lasted long enough, and there are plenty of people waiting to hear your story back at school."

James was pleasantly surprised when Harry didn't try any of his previous tricks to avoid the Headmaster's office. He had half suspected another escape attempt or flat out refusal to move, but having Sirius along must have made him more likely to comply. James couldn't help to notice the strange, almost frightened looks he made at Sirius when he thought no one was looking.

They arrived at Hogwarts as quickly as they had disappeared, but someone was waiting for them in the courtyard. Lily was playing with their son Charlie, and she smiled at James when she saw him. Charlie zoomed over to James, jumping into his arms as if they had been apart for a long time, and Lily made her way over to them in due time.

"Hey! I remember you! You called me short!" Charlie pointed an accusing finger at Harry, who looked at James for a little help. Not because he was fearful of Charlie, but because Lily had her eyes locked on Harry.

"James, who's that?"

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, and sorry about the long update time!


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